


rise from the ashes (a hero, a fake)

by xTarmanderx



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Blind Character, Childhood Trauma, Experimentation, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25592614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTarmanderx/pseuds/xTarmanderx
Summary: For seventeen years, the avatar has been missing from the world. When Liam is told the truth about his identity, he’ll have to journey across the world to master all four elements and follow his destiny. But something dark is lurking in the shadows, stalking each step he takes and planning his demise.
Relationships: Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Josh Diaz/Brett Talbot, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 13
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special shoutout to snaeken for the title and huge thanks to him, ExtraSteps, and Auddieliz09 for their help with the plot and working out other key story elements! 
> 
> This fic will not follow the original ATLA storyline, but I will be borrowing some details for the story.

_”Again.”_

Theo sets down his book without comment and gets to his feet, eyes flicking across the room. The pair are huddled together, the smaller boy letting out a whimper that the other boy immediately shushes. Rolling his eyes, he walks into the middle of the room and crosses his arms. “Josh.” The summon has dark eyes snap to him and the boy gets to his feet, blocking the smaller from view as he steps forward to face Theo.

“Best of three?” He asks, widening his stance. Theo cocks his head to the side in consideration. There’s not going to be enough room in here if Josh wants to start with fire.

“Courtyard.” He turns abruptly on his heel and makes his way from the room, listening carefully to the set of footsteps behind him. A second joins in, as he knew it would, and he suppresses a smirk. Where one goes, the other always follows. It’s their weakness and he intends to take full advantage of it.

He ducks beneath the half collapsed arch and crosses over what’s left of the courtyard. It’s in complete ruin, the ground uneven and weeds taking over wherever they can grow. Scorch marks cover more than half the walls, reminders of the years of violence that they’ve seen. There’s the debris from other collapsed columns and chunks from the surrounding stairs missing, strewn across the ground in heaps of rubble. The courtyard feels like an analogy of some kind, but Theo doesn’t dwell on it. Instead, he takes his place and turns to face Josh on the opposite end. His eyes flick to Corey who has stayed crouched under the arch they came through and he grins to himself. He’s learned his lesson.

As expected, Josh widens his stance and fire dances forward from his fingertips. Theo lazily steps to the side and the attack sails harmlessly past him. Two more bursts happen in succession and he fakes a yawn, ducking and weaving as Josh fires blast after blast at him. He knows this routine through and through. He also knows that Josh won’t last like this for long. Fire isn’t his born element and he still doesn’t have a solid grasp. The next burst turns into a lightning bolt halfway through and he chuckles to himself. “Is that all you’ve got?” He taunts, licking his lips. “I could dance around you all day.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Josh snarls. The next lightning bolt lands a hair closer and Theo feels the heat on the back of his neck. Chuckling, he raises his fist and a wall of earth lifts up in front of him to block the next strike of lightning. He pushes his hands together in front of him, sending the wall toward Josh in a rush. The other dives out of the way, tucking into a roll and springing back fast onto his feet. Lightning strikes just above his shoulder and Theo jerks back with narrowed eyes. It’s too close. This has been fun, but Josh is getting cocky and more sure with his strikes. It’s time to take him out.

He avoids two more balanced strikes and raises two chunks of earth, thrusting them forward at high speed. As Josh rolls himself into the middle for safety, Theo uncorks the flask at his hip and draws out water. With a flick of his wrist, the water whip is around Josh’s throat and bringing him down to his knees. Smirking, he wraps the water around Josh’s head and cuts off his air supply. Despite the natural strength of the born waterbender, he’s no match for Theo. He never has been. He can’t pull the water from his face and Theo watches in fascination as the fight begins to leave his body.

A current of air snaps through his water whip and he scowls, watching as Corey comes running. Josh pitches forward, gasping for breath as he collapses onto the dirt. The other boy kneels down, gently rubbing his back while turning to glare daggers at Theo. “You could have killed him!”

“Maybe he shouldn’t have let his guard down.” Theo shrugs one shoulder. “I win.”

 _“Failure.”_ The word makes Theo’s blood roar in his ears and he turns, snarling at the three men that have entered the courtyard. They’re wearing matching looks of boredom and carefully crafted disdain. The emotion almost makes them look human.

“I didn’t fucking fail. I had him on his knees with his life at my fingertips.” He reminds, lip pulling up at the corner as he grits his teeth.

 _”Not soon enough. The avatar would break your hold and then you.”_ One says. _”You failed.”_

“The avatar isn’t even around anymore.” Scoffing, Theo crosses his arms over his chest. “You said they’ve been gone for seventeen years. You killed the last one. And unless you’ve brought us news, then the new avatar still hasn’t made themselves known. Besides, Josh isn’t the avatar. I can play all I want to with him.” It’s a bold move, but no one contradicts him. Theo takes the victory for what it is and crosses the courtyard, gripping the back of Josh’s shirt and hauling him to his feet. “He’s fine, see? You haven’t lost _another_ precious firebender.” He sneers.

“You dick-“ Corey starts forward, but Josh throws up a hand and blocks him from getting too close. “You’re such a fucking bastard.” He spits out, practically shaking in anger. It’s the emotional response that has Theo let out a hollow laugh. These idiots have always let their emotions rule them. It’s why he’s going to be the one to succeed when the time finally comes to prove himself. They’ll sacrifice anything for each other, but Theo? He’s got nothing to lose.

“If you would just let go of your little friendship, maybe you’d be able to take me on.” He smirks, tipping his head to the side. Corey’s expression darkens, but before he can say something an unnatural hum fills the air. Theo turns on instinct to study the statue that’s sitting on a pedestal, raised above their destruction and never touched. The only thing sacred in this godforsaken place. White light emanates from the eyes of the statue before it shoots a beam of light into the sky, a signal to the rest of the world.

“Oh,” Corey breathes out softly. Theo shifts his attention to the three men, straightening up as he waits for the order.

_“Your hunt begins.”_

-

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Mason asks, hopping to the next chunk of drifting ice. Shrugging one shoulder, Liam leaps to the next block and then the next, making it onto a solid iceberg.

“Look, my trial is coming up and I know that you passed yours. I just want a little practice.” He says.

“But I also had an elder on the boat _and_ two other people. This is just me and you.”

“Which is exactly why we’re just going to practice in a canoe. It’s not like I’m stealing a boat. But I need to understand how it moves so I know what to expect.” Liam explains, rolling his eyes. “It’s a rite of passage, Mason.”

“And you’re already an honorary water tribe member! But canoes don’t have sails and that’s a pretty important part of ice dodging. Learning how to give commands. I’m just saying,” he sighs as Liam leads them around the edge of the iceberg to where a canoe has been secured against the ice. “If I die because of this, I’m haunting you for the rest of my life.”

“You already haunt me on a daily basis.” Grinning, Liam bumps their shoulders together and gestures at the canoe. “Come on, Mase! This is an adventure waiting to happen! A chance for you to even practice your bending skills!”

“Why do you always know exactly what to say to drag me into your shenanigans?” With a dramatic sigh, Mason trudges over to the canoe and bends down to begin untying it from its anchors. “Are you just going to watch or are you actually going to help me?”

“Fine.” With a casual flick of his wrist, a tiny flame stretches from Liam’s fingertips and burns one of the ropes. It snaps and the flame dissipates as Liam crooks his finger.

“Show-off.”

“Not my fault you weren’t born a firebender.” Laughing, Liam hops into the canoe and waits for Mason to climb in. “You ready for this?” He asks, reaching for a paddle.

“To die? Not particularly.” Mason says, grabbing the other paddle. “But an adventure with my best friend? I can’t resist that kind of thing.”

“Knew you couldn’t say no to me.” Using the paddle, Liam nudges then away from the iceberg and into the open water. He paddles them out toward pillars of ice in the water, mindful of the shifting ice chunks drifting around them.

“One day, your puppy dog eyes won’t work on me.” Mason warns, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “So, how do you want to do this?”

“I just want to see what it’s like. Have you bend us around the ice pillars out there and see what your bending can do. I want you with me when I have to take my test.” Liam says.

“You could have just said you wanted to see my moves.” Playfully kicking Liam in the ankle, Mason sets down his paddle and extends his hands. In a slow push and pull toward the water, it begins to shift around the boat. “Straight through the middle?”

“Yeah.” Liam sets his paddle in the middle of the boat, crossing his legs under him as Mason gets to work. It always fills him with a sense of awe to see his best friend bending. Waterbenders are like poetry in motion, each movement flowing flawlessly into the next like a dance. He has a way of making it look effortless and Liam feels a sliver of envy. He always looks like he’s about to throw a punch when he practices bending. It’s moments like this where he wishes that he’d inherited his mother’s waterbending and not the abilities of his father.

“Oh no, I’m not doing all the work!” Mason says as he glances over his shoulder. “Get to paddling and direct us, lazy bum!” With a soft snort, Liam does as told and picks his paddle back up. He twists his grip around on it so he doesn’t lose it to Mason’s bending and dips it into the water. Carefully, he turns the boat toward the east and it slides with ease between the pillars.

“Damn. Look at how high these are,” Liam breathes as they calmly sway between them. “Could you waterbend the boat high enough to get over them?”

“Technically? I probably could.” Mason’s head tips in consideration. “Why? What are you thinking?”

“Tide is calm right now, but that doesn’t last. Gotta be ready for anything.” Liam explains. For his entire life, he’s been warned about how treacherous these waters can be. The water can display calm one moment and take you to their depths in the next breath. The ice is just as finicky. It’s why ice dodging is incredibly dangerous and why they’re not supposed to be practicing without an elder in their midst. But Liam’s never been one to follow the rules.

“Yeah...” Mason trails off, his eyes going wide as he turns to Liam. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Frowning, he glances over his shoulder but they’re surrounded now by the ice pillars. There’s an ominous creak somewhere behind them and a few waves lap sloppily at the boat. “Shit. Mase, I think it’s time to go.”

“What’s happening? Did you see anything?” Mason cranes his neck while Liam shakes his head. There’s another eerie creak from behind them and the water shifts as a deafening crack sounds. The next wave slams them against the ice pillars and Mason stumbles forward, wrapping his arms around the ice to keep himself upright. “Fuck!”

“We’ve gotta move!” Fire extending from his fingertips, Liam slashes at the ice pillars and cuts away the one closest to him. As the top slides into the water, he glances back and sees the water rising rapidly behind them, building on itself as it slams against the pillars. The canoe rocks hard, toppling Mason from it and sending Liam into the water. Icy waves crash over his head and he’s forced under, breath stolen as he gets thrown against one of the pillars. He scrabbles for any kind of purchase, but his gloves slip right off the ice and another wave drags him further under.

His back collides with a pillar and he twists around, forcing his eyes open despite the burning cold. There’s nothing but darkness around him and he’s running out of air. Tumultuous waves drag him back and forth, knocking him from pillar to pillar, and his vision starts to blur. As he tries to grab onto something, the water around him begins to move and he’s dragged back up. Coughing and spluttering as he reaches the surface, he wriggles around to find Mason clinging to a nearby pillar with an arm stretched toward him. “Liam!”

Breathless, he shakes his head and uses what little strength he has left to wrap his arms around the ice closest to him and cling for dear life. The waves lap at his waist, but they’re starting to slow down. He presses his forehead against the pillar with a violent shudder, collecting himself as best as he can. Minutes later, the water is finally calm enough that he can let himself look back at Mason. His best friend is ashen, wide eyes filled with tears as he stares at Liam. “What?” He croaks, trying to smile. “We made it.”

“You almost fucking drowned!”

“Yeah, but you saved me.” Mason’s lips twist down and he shakes his head, making Liam frown. “What?”

“I didn’t save you. I couldn’t see you, Liam. I thought you were gone.” He whispers, the words barely reaching Liam’s ears.

“But if you didn’t do that...” Liam cranes his neck, but he can’t see anyone else through the pillars of ice. “Who did?”

“I...I think you did.”

“I’m not a waterbender.” Liam shakes his head and slowly lets go of the pillar, shuddering as he’s submerged back into the icy water.

“What are you doing?!”

“We’ve gotta get back to the iceberg or we’ll fucking freeze to death.” It’s exhausting to put one arm in front of the other, but Liam finds himself propelled forward with ease. His teeth are chattering violently by the time he reaches the edge of an iceberg, but he’s still alive so he counts it as a minor nuisance. Managing to pull himself up onto it, he flops onto his back with a groan as Mason scrabbles up next to him. His best friend sits down with his legs crossed under him and uses his bending to pull water from their clothes, leaving Liam feeling ten times better.

“You’re the absolute fucking best.” He says, propping up on his elbows.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Brows furrowed, he shifts his gaze to where Mason won’t quite meet his eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

“You were waterbending, Liam.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He scoffs, dismissing the idea. No one is able to bend more than one element. No one except…

“Dude, I think you’re the avatar.”


	2. Chapter 2

“There’s no way.” Liam peels his wet coat away from his body, shuddering as the icy wind nips at his exposed skin. Mason shakes his head and holds his hands above Liam, fingers shifting up and down like a wave. The remaining water droplets begin to rise from the material, gathering into a ball hanging between them. It doesn’t completely dry his clothes by any means, but Liam will take damp over sopping wet any day. He watches as Mason carefully draws the water out, shifting off a glove and creating a fire ball to start warming them both up. The cold may not affect Mason as much, but he can hear his teeth chattering. Waterbending hasn’t granted him any immunity to the icy waters.

“I’m telling you, Li. I know exactly what I saw. You were glowing underwater.” Mason insists.

“You were just seeing a reflection of the ice-“

“Dude. You’re the avatar and I’m not crazy. How else did you get back to the surface? I saw you get dragged under and those currents were no joke. You were able to waterbend your way back up. That’s the only explanation because I sure as hell didn’t do it. I couldn’t even  _ see _ you.”

“Then how do you know I was glowing?” Liam challenges, an edge to his voice. He loves Mason, but his best friend is a fucking idiot. He’s not the avatar. That jackass abandoned them decades ago. “Come on, we need to start heading back if we want to make it back by nightfall.”

“Liam...” He ignores Mason and brings his fingers to his lips, whistling. The piercing sound cuts briefly through the silence around them and Liam feels the hair stand on the back of his neck. “Is she close?” Mason whispers.

“She fucking better be.” Liam grumbles under his breath. He can hear something in the distance, but there’s nothing discerning about the noise. Letting the fire die from his fingertips, he cups his hands around his mouth and whistles again. “Artemis!”

There’s a bark close by and Liam turns, bracing himself for the inevitable. The arctic tiger-wolf comes dashing across the ice, heavy pass thundering the closer she comes. At the last moment, he launches himself out of her path and she spins around with a yip. “Hey, girl.” He grins, setting a hand on her white fur and rubbing his fingers along the black and gray stripes. “We need you to get us back home. Okay?” As he turns over his hand, a spot of blue at his wrist catches his eyes. Where tattoos of flames have covered his body in intricate spirals, there now lays a single blue raindrop. 

“You good?” Mason asks, making him jump. He hastily tugs his jacket sleeve down over his wrist and nods, climbing onto the back of his furry companion. Offering a hand to Mason, he helps him up and Artemis starts to trot along. “Hey, man. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Mason says as he snuggles into Liam’s back. “But you’ve gotta admit, being the avatar would be pretty sick.”

“You just wish it was you so you could master all of the elements.” Liam smiles slightly. 

“You’re not wrong. But seriously, picture it! You’d be able to travel the world and help people in need and learn the elements and have festivals thrown in your honor! Wouldn’t that be cool?”

“Even if I was the avatar, which I’m not, I’d also have to deal with people hunting me. Remember Scott? He didn’t exactly just go missing.” Liam doesn’t even want to begin to wrap his head around that. If something had stopped the avatar in his tracks and killed him, what chance of survival did Liam have? The raindrop on his wrist meant nothing. It couldn’t. Liam was just a firebender and that was that. 

“You know, it’s okay to be scared.” Mason murmurs softly. Shaking his head, Liam clenches his fingers in Artemis’s fur and pushes the whole notion away. 

Dusk arrives as they make it back to the village. He drops Mason off at his hut and makes his way back to his own, sliding off Artemis to give her a break. She nudges her maw against his shoulder as they walk and he leans into her, closing his eyes. “I know, girl. But you don’t understand. I can’t be him. I just can’t.” He whispers. With a quiet whine, she licks his cheek. As they reach his home, he makes sure there’s food and water in the overhang that he’s built for her before going inside. 

Mason’s father is sitting down with his mother and stepfather, wearing his tribal chief attire. They all look up at him in unison and he sucks in a breath. “Tell me it’s not true,” he begs. 

“Liam, son,” Mason’s father began, gesturing at the chair across from him, “I think it’s time that we talked.”

-

“This isn’t fucking fair!” Liam shouts, fire cutting through the air as he throws a punch. Mason avoids it with ease, ducking under his outstretched arm and jabbing him in the ribs with his fingertips. “I didn’t ask for this, Mason!”

“But you can do this, Liam! You did it yesterday and saved yourself. This should be a piece of cake.” He steps behind Liam and grips him by his hips, turning him. “Your stance is wrong. You’ve gotta follow through the motions, Liam.”

“But I don’t want to  _ be  _ a waterbender. I want to be me.” It’s a childish protest, but Liam feels justified in it. He doesn’t want a destiny where he’s always going to be in the middle of conflict. He wants to spend his days penguin sledding with Mason and hunting with Artemis and learning how to cook from his mom. Now that the council knows that he’s the avatar, they’re going to be bringing tutors and bending masters to teach him. His childhood is officially over. 

“But think of all the cool things you’ll be able to do! You’ll be able to connect with spirits! Spirits, Liam! Your past lives! And you can master all of the elements and everyone will love you. You’re going to be amazing at it.”

“You’d be a much better avatar.” He grumbles under his breath. It’s true. Mason would tackle the responsibility head on and devote himself to his studies. He’d be the best avatar on the planet. If he could give this up, he’d hand it over without second thought. 

“Dude, this is going to be fun. I get to be your bending master! Well, at least until the Northern Water Tribe master arrives. But still! I’m the second best to teach you.” Mason proclaims, his chest puffing out. Before Liam can remind him they’ve been at this for half an hour and he’s learned nothing, the village horn sounds. Skin prickling with unease, he turns to watch as someone races down from the watchtower. Whatever they’ve seen, it can’t be good. 

“Do you think it’s because of me?” Liam asks, turning toward his best friend. Before he can get an answer, Mason’s father calls for them. Trading wary looks, the pair trudge across the snow cautiously to greet the chieftain. 

“Liam, I need you to go home and pack at once. Mason, go and see your mother.” He instructs, wasting no time when they reach him. 

“What’s going on?” His best friend’s jaw quivers and Liam swallows hard. 

“Is someone coming for me?” He asks. The older man pauses and nods after a moment, his smile sad.

“The Fire Nation ships are preparing to pull into our harbor. In the hands of any single nation, you will be found. You must travel to the other nations and find those who can teach you to master their elements. There’s still time for you to get away and we can cover your tracks, but you must move quickly. Go home, Liam. Gather Artemis and your belongings and meet me back here. Mason, you do the same.”

“But dad-”

“Go!” Without asking for more, Liam turns and sprints toward his hut. The new fallen snow slows him down, but his front door is wide open and that saves him a moment.

“Mom, what’s going on?” He asks, watching as Jenna works to pack food in the kitchen. “Where’s dad?”

“He’s in your bedroom gathering what you’ll need for your journey. Liam, baby, I’m so sorry for this. I thought we still had time-”

“STOP!” He roars, flames licking around his fists. “Tell me what the hell is going on!” Jenna pauses at that and turns, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“The Fire Nation is coming, Liam. They’ve finally found us.”

“Why are you afraid of them?” Nothing is making sense anymore. Shaking her head, Jenna crosses over to him and cups his face in her hands.

“My sweet, sweet boy. It’s more complicated than that.”

“Then uncomplicate it for me. Make this make sense. Why do I suddenly have to leave? Two hours ago, you planned for trainers to come here to me. What’s changed?” He demands.

“When you were born, the Fire Nation put out dozens and dozens of requests for information about you. I received word from one of my friends from back home that there was talk of using you to build an army. They want to go after whoever took Scott and they want you to be their weapon. I vowed never to let that happen to you. When your father passed...” Jenna’s voice wavers and Liam swallows around the budding lump in his throat. “Liam. The entire world knew that the next avatar would be a child of the Fire Nation. When we realized Scott had passed and you were the new avatar, we thought you would be safe here in the Southern Water Tribe. No one would ever look for a firebender here. We agreed to live here and keep you safe. When your father passed, I swore that I would keep you safe. So we left false trails everywhere about where we had gone and made sure that we could not be followed. Apparently they figured it out.”

“But I’m just a kid. They can’t force me to fight in a war, can they?” Liam whispers. Sniffling, Jenna presses their foreheads together and shakes her head.

“No one will force you to do anything, Liam. But we can’t take that chance. You and Mason are going to find the fishing village to our west and find Talia Hale. She’s a firebender and a family friend. She lives in the Earth Kingdom now, but she’s got a son a few years older than you. They’ll make sure that you’ve mastered firebending and then you can travel to find other masters. But you have to go  _ now, _ Liam. I’m begging you.”

“I hate this.” He wraps his arms around her in a fierce hug and feels like his entire world is shattering as she clutches his shoulders. “I’ll send word that I’m safe as soon as-”

“No, Liam. It’s too risky. You have to let go. Please, it’s for your protection.” She kisses his hair and he stubbornly shakes his head, gritting his teeth.

“I won’t,” he protests.

“Liam, you need to go.” Hearing his stepfather’s voice, he turns and sees a backpack that’s stuffed to the brim. “It’s clothes and anything else you might need on this trip. I’ve put money at the bottom, there’s enough from our savings to last you a while.”

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Liam whispers. Screw being the avatar. 

“One day, we can all be together again. But right now, you need to go.” Jenna leans in to kiss his forehead and steps back, wiping at her eyes. “Be strong, my little wolf.” Liam’s eyes spill over with tears as she uses his nickname. “This will be over before you know it.”

He says his goodbyes and in the blink of an eye, he and Mason are riding Artemis out of the village. As he looks back, his chest constricts and fresh tears start to fall. “We’re going to be okay.” Mason tells him, arms squeezing around his waist. Liam wishes he could believe that. 

-

“What’s the news?” Theo asks, fingers skittering across the wall. Josh shuts the door and secures the lock, turning with knitted brows. 

“Fire Nation ships are approaching the Southern Water Tribe. If they get their hands on the avatar, it’s going to be a bitch to break him out of their grasp.” He says, rubbing at his forehead. 

“Headache?” Corey gets up from the floor and uncorks his water flask, walking over to offer it. Snorting, Theo turns away from the display of weakness and curls his fingers down into his palm. 

“We need to get moving.” Pushing off from the wall, he saunters over to their belongings and begins to pack them up. 

“We can’t take them on open water, Theo. We’d be insane to try.” Josh argues. 

“Who said anything about taking them on?” Rolling his eyes, Theo shoulders his pack and turns toward the pair. “He’s not going to go with the Fire Nation when he’s been hiding from them since birth. He’s going to be on the run. Now, tell me, where do refugees always go to hide?” He taps a finger against his chin. 

“The Earth Kingdom. But how will we find him?” Corey asks. 

“We blend in. Pack your bags, we’ve got a boat to catch.”


	3. Chapter 3

When Liam was younger, he’d beg his mother and father to take him on a boat ride. The waves had calmed his anger and he’d loved the smell of the sea. But now? Now it just fills him with painful memories. He turns from the bow of the boat, staring mournfully back at the home he’s running from. He wants to turn and run back, swim if he has to, but there’s no point in trying. Getting caught will just hurt his family in the long run and cost him his freedom. As much as it pains him to admit it, his parents were right to send him away. 

He glances across the boat to find Mason chatting with one of the fishermen, his hands moving theatrically as he does. They seem happy to have the company. Liam’s just grateful that he’s being left alone. He knows Mason is worried about him - he’s caught plenty of pained glances - but he doesn’t know how to reassure him. This whole situation is fucked. 

He sinks down further into his seat and sighs, leaning forward to rest his elbows against his knees. The single drop of water that permanently marks his skin catches his attention and he rotates his wrist to examine it. He hasn’t paid much attention to it, knowing that taking time to study it will draw Mason’s attention and curiosity and he won’t be able to deny the truth any longer. But he can’t help it. From this angle, it looks as though a spiral of fire has rain stemming from it, growing like a new bud. Is that what his earth markings will look like? What about air? Will they start to overlap and blur together in color and shape? Or will they stay separate, painting his skin in four separate ways as he masters all of the elements?

He wishes he had answers. The rumors tell him that he should be able to connect with the avatars of the past, but that’s something he’s never believed in until now. He doesn’t exactly have a choice. He’s the goddamn avatar, savior of the world, and right now he’s running away from the safety he’s always known and forced into the unknown. If he didn’t have Mason and Artemis with him, he doubted that he would have been able to get on this boat. He can’t think about that. His mother sacrificed everything for his escape and he’s terrified of what might happen to his family in his absence. 

With a soft whine, Artemis climbs to her feet and presses her snout into his palm. He cracks a weak grin and leans his head against hers, exhaling slowly. “Hey. Sorry, girl. Everything’s okay.” He says, the lie tasting like ash in his mouth. But Artemis doesn’t care that he’s lying. She just rubs her head against his and rumbles softly, letting him soak comfort from her presence. “You’ve always been there for me.” He lightly kisses her nose and from the corner of her vision, he sees her tail wagging behind her. “Good girl,” he praises. 

She settles down at his feet, but her head rests in his lap and he’s able to comb his fingers through her fur. The repetitive motion is calming to them both. He can remember when she was still small enough to fit in his lap, the way she’d been able to curl into a ball and had a habit of hiding under her tail. It was something she’d never fully grown out of, but now she was too heavy to lift in his arms. Smiling fondly, he scratches behind her ear and leans back. 

_ At thirteen years old, Liam was ready to prove himself as a man. He wasn’t old enough to go on hunting trips with the waterbenders and he still wasn’t in control of his powers, but his mom called him her ‘little man’ and he took great pride in it. It had almost become a point of contention between him and Mason, the latter rolling his eyes every time it was brought up. But Liam was proud that he was considered as such in the eyes of his mother and that was all that mattered.  _

_ He knew that he wasn’t allowed to stray too far from the village without supervision. But the ice caves weren’t  _ too  _ far from his home and besides, he and Mason had explored them together dozens of times. He could navigate them with both eyes closed. When it was light enough to start his path, Liam set out with a few scraps of jerky tucked into his pockets and a water skin strapped to his hip. Normally he would invite Mason along for these kinds of adventures, but his friend was studying for school and hated when Liam interrupted.  _

_ The ice caves were surprisingly empty, much to Liam’s initial disappointment. He’d been hoping for some penguins that he could coerce into sledding. While it wasn’t as fun without Mason, there was a steep hill outside of the village that he’d still enjoy going down. But no, the caves seemed to be empty of any type of fauna. Mason would be exceptionally proud of him for using his new vocabulary words correctly.  _

_ “Come on,” he sighed as he turned in a circle. “There’s gotta be something…” His flame flickered in the palm of his hand and for a split second, he swore that he saw a shadow cross over one of the walls. “Is someone there?” He demanded, puffing out his chest. There was silence and then nails scrabbling across the ice in his direction. He turned just in time, feet slipping out from under him as something collided with his legs.  _

_ “Oof!” Falling flat on his back, he grunted and his vision blackened at the edges. Pain sparked through him and he groaned, thinking of the fresh bruises he would have to explain to his mom and her new boyfriend, when a furry face popped into view. “Oh,” he breathed out slowly. An arctic tiger-wolf! He’d read about them in school, but he’d never seen one up close before.  _

_ “Hey there. Are you all by yourself?” He asked, lifting a hand to cautiously scratch at its head. It let out a whine and danced back as he touched it, climbing off of him quickly. He pushed himself up and was met with several sets of eyes glowing in the darkness, most closer to the ground like him. But the mother stood above them all, head lowered as she studied Liam in the dark.  _

_ “I’m not gonna hurt you,” he promised as the pup scampered back to its parent. “I’m sorry, is this your den? I’ll go home and I won’t tell anyone.” He promised. “No wonder the penguins aren’t in here.” He added with a grin. The adult tiger-wolf stepped forward and gripped her pup by the scruff of its neck, carrying it back to safety. “Be good, little one.” He said before getting to his feet, wincing. Ouch. Definitely bruised. “I won’t bother you again. And I’ll tell my village to leave you alone here.” He added, rubbing at his back as he started toward the entrance.  _

_ As he stepped through the cave and back into the sunlight, he felt something brush against his leg. Fear gripped at him as he looked down, surprised to see the pup winding around his legs. It barked and jumped up, resting one paw on his hip as its snout dipped into his pocket. “No! Those are my snacks!” He argued, pushing down against the pup. Its head came free with the jerky held proudly between its teeth and in the blink of an eye, it was gone and he was alone again.  _

_ Lamenting the loss of his food, he sulked on his way back to the village. He couldn’t wait to tell Mason about the family he’d found! Even though one of the pups was an annoying thief that had bruised his spine. His mom’s boyfriend would be able to heal any minor bruising. David was the village doctor and a good man. Liam liked him a lot. He hadn’t been sure at first, worried that his mom was just trying to replace his dad, but she’d promised him that would never happen. And David was nice. He talked to Liam all the time when he visited and never shied away from his questions, which other adults did when he annoyed them. But David was good.  _

_ He opened the door to his home and stepped inside, shrugging off his jacket. “Mom, I’m home!” He said, toeing off his boots.  _

_ “I see that,” Jenna smiled as she stepped into the living room. It dropped from her face and she raised a brow, placing one hand on her hip. “Liam. I thought we talked about no pets?” _

_ “Wha-“ He glanced down, shocked to find the tiger-wolf pup sniffing curiously at his boots. “I didn’t bring it home, I swear!” _

_ “Liam…” _

_ “I didn’t! I found a whole family of them in the ice caves, but I didn’t know this one followed me home!”  _

_ “You’d better take her outside before her family comes looking.” Jenna said, smiling and shaking her head a little.  _

_ “How do you know it’s a girl?” He asked, tilting his head down toward the pup.  _

_ “See her stripes? For females, they go down both legs and wrap around them. For males, they just cover the torso and go down their backs and tails.” Jenna explained, coming closer. She knelt down and lightly scratched the pup behind the ears. “I can’t tell you the last time I saw a tiger-wolf. They happen to be very rare.” She told him. “They’re considered to be good luck.” _

_ “I’ll make sure she gets back home.” With a huff, Liam tugged on his jacket and slid his boots back on. He opened the door, fully prepared to drag the pup out if he had to, but then the mother stepped over the threshold of his home. She paid no attention to him or his mother, grabbing her pup by the scruff and carrying her out. He felt frozen in place as he watched her carry the pup back through the village. A few people were outside now, pointing and whispering to themselves, but no one made any moves to stop them.  _

_ “She must really like you.” Jenna said, her hand settling on his shoulder. “Come on, why don’t you help me get lunch?” _

_ “I’m starving.” He confessed, shutting the door.  _

_ For the next two months, it happened just like that. Whenever Liam opened his door in the morning, the pup was sitting there waiting for him. Every day he would walk her back to the caves, and every afternoon she would follow him home. It felt almost like a game. Mason told him that he should just give in and keep her, but Liam wasn’t sure that she was safe enough to be a pet. While she had been nothing but gentle toward him (and sneaky), she was still a wild animal. Not to mention that she had a family of her own.  _

_ But try as he might, he couldn’t shake her. She would follow Liam around his village, whine at his door when he didn’t immediately come outside, and find him and Mason when they were penguin sledding. To his shock, the pup wasn’t interested in hunting the birds. She chased them around, but she didn’t attack or try to injure any of them. Instead, she ran around them in circles to round them up. At first, they’d been terrified of the predator. But after a few weeks, they grew used to her presence.  _

_ After five months, her mother stopped trying to drag her back to the family. At six months, Liam named her Artemis and fashioned a bed for her in his room. And that was that. She was able to come and go as she pleased, but more often than not she could be found at his side. They’d adopted each other and he couldn’t be happier with it. She still stole food from his plate when he took too long to eat it and she liked to steal his shoes, but she’d also captured his heart. They belonged together, plain and simple.  _

Artemis rubs her face down against his palm and he grins, fondly dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “Thanks. We’ll be safe, soon.” He says, stroking his other hand down her spine. They just have to find Talia Hale. She’ll know what to do. 

-

“Tickets for the ferry?” The old woman perches her glasses on the tip of her nose, squinting over them. 

“Here you go.” Theo slides three across the countertop, flashing a practiced charming smile. 

“And your pet?” Her eyes narrow further at the messenger hawk perched on his shoulder. Lifting a hand, he lightly strokes her feathers and cocks his head. 

“Athena? She’s the sweetest. Raised her after I rescued her from a hunter’s trap. She won’t cause any trouble and I’ll keep her away from the other passengers.” He promises. She observes him a moment longer before she nods and stamps the tickets in quick succession. 

“Safe travels and welcome to the Earth kingdom.” She says. Nodding, he picks up the tickets and turns away. They’ve got a few minutes to kill before they board for the afternoon, so he nods toward a corner where Josh and Corey meet for a huddle. 

“Risky swiping tickets like that,” Josh chastises. Raising a brow, Theo waits for the rest of his holier-than-thou speech to start. But Corey tugs on his sleeve, silencing him with a look. It makes Theo’s skin itch the way these two can silently communicate. They’re too spineless to work against him, but he refuses to be careless enough to let his guard down. 

“Like you could have done any better,” he scoffs. 

“You stole from a  _ family _ that was starving-“ Josh argues. 

“Guys,” Corey hisses, “we’re starting to draw attention.” Theo doesn’t glance up, knowing Athena is staring down any onlookers. She’s intimidating with her scars and missing feather, a hardened look gleaming in her beady eyes. 

“Both of you need to relax.” He says, crossing his arms over his chest. “In just a few hours, we’ll be behind the wall and we can start our searching.” 

“We don’t even know what we’re looking for.” Josh snaps. 

“A teenager that’s our age who can bend fire and presumably now a second element.” Theo ticks off. “They’ll probably have an animal like…” He pauses, allowing himself a smug grin. “Like you both  _ used  _ to have.” Josh’s jaw clenches. He knows it’s a sensitive topic and he loves pushing the other boy’s buttons. They’d all been forced to raise an animal and bond with it, trying to mimic the avatar’s abilities as much as possible. And when they’d grown big enough, they’d all been forced to pit them against one another. Athena had been the sole survivor. 

“They’re boarding now.” Corey says softly, putting a hand to Josh’s chest before he can step forward. He’s always been the more volatile of the two. It’s his greatest weakness. That, and Corey. He’s got a bleeding heart for the other young man. It’ll get them both killed one of these days. 

“Let’s go.” Gritting his teeth, Josh shoulders past Theo toward the ferry. Athena squawks in warning and he takes a deep satisfaction from the full body flinch of Josh. He strokes lightly under her chin, murmuring a soft praise as they follow the other two. It’s rare when he can show her affection like this, but she doesn’t seem to give a damn. She’s loyal to him and he can trust her, unlike the other two. Given the chance, they’d snap his neck in the middle of the night. He’ll have to be even more careful now that they’re forced to travel together, but he’s confident they won’t get rid of him. Not yet. 


End file.
